digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id
2. Difficulties faced by students of using digital portfolios assignment
1 Technical Problems
On the finding of technical problems faced by students here, most of students faced problems when they create the blog and get unstable
internet connection. Most of them faced similar difficulties. Based on the findings, it can be describe as follow:
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Students do not have adequate experience with software and blog features
Few students also had difficulty in the process because they had no experience with some software and the lecturer gave undetailed
instructions. This is as what students 4, she said “I do not know how to operate the software and applications. However the lecturer left
the instructions in every assignments but it was not clear enough for me, so I sometimes felt confused”. Student 35 also said “not all,
because I faced difficult in some digital portfolio assignments, especially in operating software and applications”.
Students also got difficulties when they set up their blog, because it is something new for them. In addition, students never
had experience in blog. Most of them had difficulties to set up the appearance and features on blog. This is as what student 11 answer
that “I got problem with blog settings, because blog was something
digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id new for me. So I need to learn more about it”. In addition, student 9
said that “I never make blog before, so I got difficulties how to design my blog. For example, I got difficulties how to change the
background of my blog and other features of blog”. Student 14 also said “Actually my difficulty in blog is how to set blog, because I do
not know how to set a nd design the blog appearance”.
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Need adequate Internet connection
Students stated that when they worked for digital portfolios assignment, students had difficulties in the internet connection.
They commonly faced these problems because internet connection was not stable. This is as what student 5 said “I think internet
connection is a problem when I did digital assignments on blog”. Similarly student 2
4 assumed that “The internet connection is a problem for me. If the internet connection using hotspot or WIFI
was not stable, I went to internet café warnet to complete my assignments. In addition, student 1 said “I personally had problem
with the signal of internet connection.”
2 Content Problems
In content problem, there were three kinds of problems in using blog for digital portfolios assignment, they were choosing materials,
goals and themes. But most students of CALL 2 had difficulties in
digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id writing the materials of the content. There were 38 student assumed that
they had difficulties in material selection. This is as what student 3 answer
. She said “I was hard to get the material what I should include in my blog. Because I had difficulties when I review the materials I learnt
in CALL 2”. Other student also had same problems. Student 5 said “the core of my problem when I create blog for my digital portfolios
assignment was the materials I should choose”. Other example from student 16, he said “actually I got problems in choosing materials
because I did not know what I am going to write on my blog. Because lecturer did not give the example in every assignments. So, I confused
how to ar range the material of my blog”.
3. Problem-solving used by students
In facing problems and difficulties based on Stockwell, students stated during interview that they solved their problems in three ways as follow:
a. Searching resources on internet When students got difficulties, they usually go online and find
out some articles to read. Students would find out articles or online resources about the guidelines of software or blog setting. This is the
most students used when they faced difficulties. This is as what student 3 said “If I got difficulties on blog setting, I can ask to my friend or
digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id search some online resources on int
ernet”. In addition, student 15 said “I often found the resources on google or ask to my friend”. Similarly
student 18 said “During CALL 2, I browse articles on internet or video tutorials to finish my assignments.
Besides searching articles on internet, other students also preferred to watch tutorial videos when they got difficulties. Students
believed that watching the videos tutorials help them to avoid mistakes when students completed the assignments. This is as what student 19
said “if I did not understand assignment in CALL 2, I opened YouTube and watched video tutorials. It was better and easy to understand than
read articles. So I prefer to watch videos tutorial and ask to friends.” Similarity with student 21 said “I seek out video tutorials or telephoned
my friend if I did not understand the assignment. It was the quickest way for me to resolve my problems”.
b. Asking to the lecturer In CALL 2, lecturer provided whatsapp group to help students
when they had confused and difficulties during online assignments. During online learning in CALL 2, lecturer told students if they found
something difficulties or something confusing with the course, students can ask him through whatSapp. Few of students asked to the lecturer if
digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id digilib.uinsby.ac.id they had problems of the assignments. This is what students 11
response. He said “…If I found problems when I did assignments, I meet the lecturer for asking detail explanation or guideline”. Some
students usually used whatsapp, but they believed that it was not effective. This is what stu
dent 4 said “if I asked the lecturer using whatsaap, sometimes it was not clear for us, especially me. Because in
every assignment the lecturer did not give examples, so it made us confused”
c. Asking to friends Most students usually asked to their friends when they had
problems or difficulties during completing digital portfolio assignment. This is what student 2 answer
. She said “I usually asked to my friends, especially who had better understanding in technology...”. In addition,
student 17 also said “I usually made appointment with my friend to help me in resolving my problems about CALL 2 assignments”. It is also
similar answer with student 19. He said “if I did not understand with the
assignments in CALL 2, I usually asked to my friends and watched videos tutorial. I did like search online resource about the guideline
because I need m ore time to read the articles”.
